Cody Carnes & Benjamin William Hastings’ ‘Take You at Your Word’ Tops Christian Airplay Chart
Cody Carnes and Bejamin William Hastings’ “Take You at Your Word” ascends a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart dated Nov. 9. During the Oct. 25-31 tracking week, the duet increased by 5% to 6.2 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
Carnes and Hastings co-authored the track with Aodhan King, while Austin Davis and Aaron Robertson co-produced it.
For the 35-year-old Carnes, who has been married to singer-songwriter Kari Jobe since 2014, “Word” marks his first leader among his 11 Christian Airplay appearances. He has three additional top 10s. Most recently, “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” hit No. 2 this past January, after “Ain’t Nobody” reached No. 2 in April 2023. He earned his first top 10 with his team-up with Jobe and Elevation Worship, “The Blessing: Live” (No. 7, September 2020).
For Hastings, who hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and now makes his home in Los Angeles, “Word” is also his first Christian Airplay chart-topper in his fourth try. The 32-year-old hit a prior No. 13 high mark last September with “That’s the Thing About Praise” featuring Blessing Offor.
‘Everything’ You Need to Know
Singer-songwriter Otis Kemp banks his second consecutive career-opening Gospel Airplay No. 1 with “Everything” featuring Lena Byrd Miles (up 13% in plays week-over-week).
The song, which Kemp wrote with Kortni Kemp (his niece) and Candice Caton, follows his rookie breakthrough “Daily Bread,” which led for a week in July 2023.
Miles, who grew up in San Leandro, Calif., and was raised in Oakland, scores her second No. 1 with her fourth Gospel Airplay entry. Her “WOW (Walk on Water)” dominated for three frames in May 2023.
Jim Asker
Billboard